Kami in Kenya

Gathering In....

2010-11-12T03:35:00.000-08:00

For many of us, the harvest season has come and gone, but in God's Kingdom, it is all year round thankfully. This last month and a half has been a time for that.. harvesting. And this month has me truly thankful for what I have seen my King do in the lives of those who reach out and trust Him and call Him Lord.

As many of you know, I teach at a missions/international school where I am fortunate to have the freedom to teach of the love of Christ. I have High School ELLs (English Language Learners) and two of them are from China and are Atheist. There are plenty of other good seculiar international schools for them to attend, so why their parents have them come here only makes me believe that God is in it.. and indeed He has been. I have been praying for these students, Amy and Tian, that God would show Himself to them and He did! The beginning of the year Amy would come to me with questions and in our dialogue journals we would write to each other back and forth and I would challenge her about questions she had about God and who He was. Well after weeks of this, she gave her life to the Lord during our Spiritual Emphasis Week! It has been awesome to see her grow and how God is allowing me to be used as a mentor in her life. She is the sweetest 17 yr old and I asked her last week how she was doing with her journey, and she smiled really big and said that it has made all the difference in her life. Tian on the other hand is skeptical, but God can scale any wall put up.. please pray for Tian.
Also, 2 weeks ago I had the privilege of going to the coast with a group of friends. I had experienced some spiritual challenges the week leading up to that trip so I wasn't as excited as I usually was in heading there.. I was exhausted. BUT, God once again, showed Himself soo very faithful. Every morning I would wake up (without an alarm.. miracle for me) really early and I would head down to the beach and read, journal and pray. I met a Muslim man named Hassan and he was on the beach early selling local crafts. He would approach me as I was reading the Bible and we would make small talk. The second morning he was out there again and we begun talking about his faith and mine.. I sensed he was searching because he said that he hadn't been going to mosque and was feeling confused, but being Muslim was all he knew. After much sharing, I prayed with him and gave him my Bible to read for the next week that I was going to be there. I pointed him to John and told him to start there. I begin to see him everyday asking if he was reading and if he had questions.. he did and I answered the best that i could. The last day I was there, he approached me again and asked that he and I walk out to the reef. I was literally leaving in a couple of hours, so I said that I quickly would go with him... we talked and he told me that he wanted to know this Jesus that he was reading about, that he felt different and alive when he read out of the New Testament. I prayed with him right during low tide and he accepted Christ as his Saviour! What a day! I pointed him to a local church there that I knew of. We keep in touch now via email and below is his first email to me.. thought you would like to read:

Hi my friend,

Sounds very nice to hear from you as i was eagerly waiting at least a word from you, congratulations. Frankly speaking it was so nice and glad for me to meet you, the teachings you provided me with are good, surely you took me away from fire and brought me to LIGHT, God bless you. My faith in christ is strong as i always pray to him or praise Him. I Surely have a lot to say but in brief, it was like good luck for me that GOD sent you to save my life, thank you. Mean while i wish you all the best and hope to hear from you soon,
With kind regards,
Hassan

Lastly, I would like to tell you of my time minstering with the women of Karanga Prison in Central Provence, Kenya which one of my friends, Pastor James, invited me to come. What a wonderful day that was as I felt so poured out and filled with the love and peace of God. My friend Melody and I were able to speak to the women as well as Pastor James and others. It was a Spirit-led time and the women there received us warmly. 20 women attended and 5 gave their lives to Christ! It was awesome and I was so humbled by the experience. I am talking to Pastor James about going back and having water baptisims there.. please pray God makes a way for that to happen.

There just isn't enough space to speak of how faithful God has been this past Harvest season.. He truly is gathering in those who desire to know him.. whether Atheist, Muslim or imprisoned.. He is a God who draws ALL men to Him.

Thank you from my deepest heart for the prayers and support that is given to me.. it is felt.

May God Bless You this Thanksgiving!

~kami

Karanga Women's Prison

bringing clothes for the women
to have when they are released

the ladies

Pastor James and I on an ever-crowded matatu

Women of Love

2010-09-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Psalms 91 is my grandma Missy's favorite passage. Many times she has read this to me and when I read it, I see her face and hear her precious and assuring voice that knows and belives that God is her shelter where she finds ultimate healing, peace and rest.

Amelie feeding some street boys.

Jackson is the smaller one and now

has joined the home.

This past month I have literally seen God's refuge and fortress for children who are in dire need of love and in need of a Saviour whom they can call "Father". These fatherless are the outcast and orphaned who live on the streets starving for food and for affection. One street boy, Kenny, who I met with my dear friend Amelie, had layers of dirt all over him and carried a worn-out holey bag with just a few of his belongings in it. He had dried glue on his face from sniffing which is something ALL of the street kids do to take away the hunger pains they have from going days and days without food. An old rope held up his dirty, holey pants that were made for a grown man. His shoes were barely shoes and I noticed two or three shirts layered on him to act as warmth for when he slept on the streets at night. I held back tears from the sight I was witnessing thinking, "there are soo many God, there are so many of them, how can a difference be made?" Then the most beautiful thing happened.... after Amelie and I had talked to him asking him if he wanted to come with us and start a new life away from the life on the streets that he has lived in for so long, he agrees to come to Amelie's boy's home, Life 4 Kids. http://www.life4kids.net/ The boy understands that this is a choice to come, but if he chooses to go now, then he can't go back to where he came from to say his goodbyes to friends (cuz the peer-pressure to stay on the streets is strong); he must come with us immediately and not look back. He agrees to go forward and join this new chance in life. Within minutes, he walked with us to the home and was taken up to be showered and clothed with "new" clothes and "new" shoes. (i'm sure you're thoughts are as mine and are just sensing stories from scripture unfold as you read this.. aww... it's soo good!). As I was eating lunch with the 16 boys at the shelter, Amelie and her social workers, Kenny comes down the stairs not looking like the old Kenny! He was clean, bright eyed and about to partake of the good feast (chipati and a bean dish) that waited for him. The boys clapped as he came down to join them and my heart leaped for joy at what I had just witnessed... and Amelie smiled and looked at me and said, "And then there were 17." 17 boys now fill this home! The home is small (it's temporary until more funding comes through), but it is a home. It is filled with laughter and love. Of course there are disagreements at times as is expected with 17 young boys, but it is a family and it is Christ-centered. The boys learn about Jesus and go to school also. They learn how to clean and become responsible. This home is a refuge for the kids and it is a beautiful reflection of Psalm 91.. for He is our refuge!

Watching the talent show!

Everyone helps clean-up

Kenny juggling for the talent show!

The stories of these young boys are something you only hear or see from a movie. One 11 yr old boy, John, watched his mother kill his 3 younger siblings and tried to kill him as he escaped. Before coming to the Home, he was sodomized on the streets. He had stayed with the Home for a few months but his pain seems too deep for him and he feels that he can't be helped. He decided to leave the Home this week and won't say why. Please Please pray for his return and his protection. Amelie and others are going to find him, but ultimately, it is his choice to come back. He doesn't know how to accept this love and a new chance at life. He is so wounded from what he has experienced. Can you even imagine?

Another boy, Jackson, watched his mother get burned alive from the 2007 post-election violence - his father died also. Jackson is now living at the Home after being on the streets for three years since he was 7 yrs old. I could go on and on with more stories about these boys, but know that they are all as heartbreaking as the others. But God is a God who heals and whose love has power to change us! He loves them and they are experiencing a new chance at life. I saw it before my very eyes the transformation that happens in these little ones' life -it was Heaven on Earth. This is the desire of our Father that when we decide to join His family, that we not look back at what we have left, but we look ahead to new things to come! (Phil. 3:13)

Thorunn and I with the new students
of Star of Hope Academy

Another friend of mine from Iceland, named Thorunn, has a school and homestead (for 160 kids) called Star of Hope Academy located in one of the biggest slums in Nairobi. Last Sunday she asked me to speak to the kids. Mind you, she asked the day I showed up there actually (nothing like being asked to speak on the spot!). I am not one who likes to speak (surprised, I know) in front of people I don't know, but I really sense that God is bringing me out of that and is wanting me to be more available to minister what He has put into my heart. So I did, and it was awesome! We also prayed for these kids' needs and for the start of the new school year. One boy, Felix, who had been at the home for a year, had gotten lost one day when he was coming home from school. Thorunn's people found him wandering around in a school uniform. They weren't sure what happened but he was lost and scared. There were endless months of searching for this boy and the school he came from (noone knew where he was from) so his parents could be located. But to no avail, nothing came of it. So on Sunday, Thorunn and and the children all prayed again that his parents would be found. After we finished praying, one young orphan boy came up and felt that he needed to lay hands on Felix again and pray for the return of his parents. I witnessed the Holy Spirit fall on this young boy as he prayed for Felix. Compassion overcame this young boy and he wept for Felix aloud which is so not like their culture (they do not show emotion much). The boy had to leave the room because he was so overcome with compassion.. I wept and felt the power of the Holy Spirit right there. Do you know the next day, Monday, I get an excited call from Thorunn that Felix's parents had been found!! A year that boy has been without his parents and the parents had been looking all over for Felix for a year... now they were found and these kids witnessed that prayers work! What a witness it was to these precious children. Isn't God good? I am seeing more and more everyday that His love is BIG and His love is POWERFUL! I am blessed to be around women here who pour out their lives for the Kingdom and am inspired and daily challenged to be one that does so as well.
Blessings and All my LOVE!
~kami

Felix on Sunday :(

Felix on Monday with Daddy
and little brother :)

For every season......

2010-08-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. I took it this past Spring and really saw a vivid picture of how God wants us to see circumstances in our lives. This bird is resting on the branches of an Acacia tree. The thorns are sharp. They hurt and are very similar to the crown of thorns our Saviour wore so that we would know Him. This bird to me symbolizes the beauty and stillness of the Lord. He is there pictured amidst the thorns. Does your life seemed to be filled with thorns? Does your life seem like it is too much and that you feel overwhelmed by your circumstances? How many times have I felt this? Too many. Trust and know that He is everpresent in the middle of your trials, in the middle of what seems like the valley of death - He is there and will not leave you. Rest and take comfort in Him. Psalms 112: 6-8 Such a man will not be overthrown by evil circumstances. God's constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it. He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him. That is why he is not afraid, but can calmly face his foes. (from The Living Bible)

So, now for some updates....

I am sorry I am just now posting this, but this past May I found out that my sweet little Matisse, whom I fostered, passed away. I was devasted. He went back to his maternal grandmother and her family a year ago. I knew this and wasn't too thrilled because I figured they wouldn't really be able to care for him because of how poor they were. Sure enough, mine and The Nest Orphanage's concerns were right. Matisse had a bout with diarrehea and he became dehydrated and died. They simply didn't have enough water for him! This unfortunately is all too common here. So senseless really when you think about it. So please remember to pray for the orphans and those without the basics of water and food. You really don't understand the enormity of it until you experience stories like Matisse's and others. It is a way of life here for them unfortunately.

Though Matisse's news was so awful, God really showed up for the kids in the Mararui slum. Garry, Brenda, myself and others from New Song Nairobi ministered for 3 days to about 300 kids. They were fed hearty beans and rice and heard the Gospel, worshipped and had fun with Garry and Brenda's puppet ministry - The Whimblies. What a wonderful experience. Thank you Lord for making yourself real to those blessed children. I pray for continued outpouring of Your love and saving power in their lives.

*Please remember to keep those children in your prayers - many go without food for days.

The summer quickly approached after the VBS and I found myself heading to the states for time with family and friends. It was relaxing and fun at my mom's out in the country with MOST of my 15 nieces and nephews, but after that... it was busy! I went to Colorado to see my sister's new wonderful life and headed to Tennessee to be a part of one of many of God's miracles - a baby being born! My best friend Darci gave birth to an adorable baby boy, Nehemiah Arrow McCoy. He stole my heart! It was a home birth and I felt so honored to be a part of that day.. this is my 5th delivery to be a part of!! I think I should start counting those hours towards a midwifery or doula certification... :) right.

(pic taken an hour after her water her broke... a long night awaited us!)

So now I'm back and full and ready for another year at Rosslyn Academy. I will be teaching Elementary and High School this year and must say I feel a little unprepared for High School but God's grace is getting me through those crazy days (I just found out when i returned that high school needed my services). I ask for your prayers for the kids there. Although it is a school that primarily caters to missionary kids, many that go there are not Christian. Last year we saw some come to Christ. It is a mission field and I feel honored to be a part of it. Please pray that God would use me daily in their lives in a very real way.

So as I sit here and think back to the last few months, I truly stand in awe of God's goodness and mercy to see His hand upon my journey and those around me. Through the saddness and questions to what seems unfair or unjust, I still know He has a divine plan. When it seems to be unclear as to the direction He has me heading in, I choose to focus and take comfort in knowing that it is His hand leading and guiding the way. It is a simple path really. A path that says to trust and have faith in where it is taking me. A path that doesn't give in to doubt or worry. But one that says to take each step in faith. I realize that it isn't "simple" in the slightest when we are looking at it through our own eyes - with limited vision. But when you see through Christ's eyes, it becomes simple. It is obvious and then you desire that eveything you do and say and think matches up with a Saviour who isn't complicated, but simple. It's a simple word with profound consequences - "love." Christ's love changes everything and everyone! His love begins to overflow and truly changes the direction you were headed into a wild romance with God. Everyone's path is different, but hopefully everyone's desire is the same and that is to hear that final welcome that says "well done thy good and faithful servant!" The power of His love is changing me and I sit here a new woman. I look with an expectant heart and eyes to this path that He has set before me and I step out in FAITH with arms open and eyes fixed on my King. Will you join me?

Many, many blessings!!

~kami

Lovely women all around.....

2010-04-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

(Rose with her daughter, Ogla)

I write this with saddness, yet comfort, that one of our dear sisters who sews at Jacaranda Creations is no longer suffering but is dancing with her King in heaven. Rose went to be with the Lord as she had been battling AIDS for years. She left behind her sweet 12 yr. old daughter Olgra and her 2 year boy, Nimrod. Rose worked joyfully with one of Jacaranda Creations locations in the Kibera Slum. She unknowingly got AIDS from her husband who kept the disease from her until it was too late. He passed a way a few years ago leaving the disease in her and their daughter. The boy, Nimrod, was blessed to be HIV free. Please keep these children in your prayers as they are without their mommy and daddy. Their story is all too common here in Kenya - please pray for them...there are countless who are orphaned or stricken from this disease. I was fortunate to talk with Rose extensively one day recently when I visited the center where she sewed. We talked about the Lord, her family and living with AIDS. She was a precious woman who I will never forget.

(Dorcas sewing at Jacaranda) (Dorcas moves into her new place) (Praying for Dorcas in her new home)

I also want to update you about my sweet friend Dorcas who I mentioned was without a place to live last time I wrote. She has her apartment now and is so thankful to God for His provision. This woman is an evangelist to Sudan and around Kenya. She also is working with Jacaranda Creations when she is not ministering.

(Some of the Jacarana ladies at Mararui Slum location)

Jacaranda Creations help women through hard times and helps provide support for their families. Brenda, my pastor, has poured her heart into these women's lives and I have been so blessed to become close to some of these women. Please keep these women and their families in your prayers! I will be coming home this summer and I hope to bring some of the wonderful things these women have made..let me know if your interested! Check out their products on Face Book that my friend put together. It's under Jarcanda Creations (it was mispelled..oops). There are many photos of the beautiful things they make from bags, to dolls, aprons, oven mittens, and much much more!

What Jacaranda Means: The Jacaranda tree is a picture of faith. Before the rains begin to fall bringing life and nourishment to a parched land, the Jacaranda tree blooms. The deep purple and pure white flowers give hope that the rains will....indeed come. Faith that the rains will surely come; and with the rains, new life. The vibrant blossoms of the Jacaranda tree are a picture of purity and royalty. The delicate purple blossoms open to the sun and gently, slowly unfold. Every branch soon grows heavy. The sturdy arms of the tree heavily laden with the purple blossoms like jewels in a crown. The Jacaranda tree is a picture of peace and rest. The bountiful branches are far reaching and generous in their shade giving. The Jacaranda offers a place for a weary soul to find rest. The shade stretches wide encircling all who desire peace. We have chosen the Jacaranda tree as a symbol for our ministry within the slums of Nairobi. We have faith that the God of love will bring new life to the women we serve. We believe that God views them as royal princesses and desires to lay golden crowns of purple jewels upon their heads. We believe that God bountifully offers the shade of peace and rest to them even as they live and work within the slums.

Blessings everyone.....Love you all!

~kami

Busy as can Bee

2010-01-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this is my umpteenth apology for not doing my job in the blogging world. I can't believe it has almost been a year since my last blog! Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. I know many of you have asked me when I would update this and my intentions were always good, but somehow life got in the way. I'm hoping most of you can relate..

Regarding where I last left off.....I was so fortunate to return home last summer to visit family and friends. It was a VERY busy trip that brought much laughter and many tears. I know I have said this before, but I am truly blessed by the people in my life.

After I returned back to my beautiful Kenya, I was full force into working and attending grad school via online at the Sam Houston State University. I am getting my Masters in Literacy so I can feel more legite in my Reading Lab :) . Shortly after beginning work and my Masters, I found out I had to have surgery on my ovaries. I am fine but it ran me mad for about 5 weeks due to inactivity. It turned out to be a bigger surgery than expected and I had to stay low for longer than I thought. Thanks to a very understanding professor, I didn't lose my mind with worry or anxiety fearing I might have to drop out of the masters program. In fact, I received an A for the semester! Thank you Lord!

After both semesters ended with school and work, it was time for the holidays in which my best friends, The Adams, and my mom and dad Fred came to visit. For a month I was in heaven. It truly was great to be around family and friends. God really showed Himself strong through wonderful times of worship (Marianne led worship at our church) and through the love we received and shared with many wonderful people. My parents were truly touched by the people of our church and I know that they will never forget their experience. Not to mention the crazy driving in which my mother uncontrollably made comments and great gasps throughout the entire 3 weeks :) You have to see it to believe it...I'm used to the mayhem though. But apparently I am not allowed to drive their car if I return home this summer.... hopefully they will have a change of heart :)

As of now, I am back at work and in my second semester of grad school. Please pray for me that I would not get so overwhelmed. Also, I ask that you pray for my sweet friend Dorcas who goes to my church. God is doing so much in her life. She is back from ministering in Sudan where she was for a year. She is weary and is resting here for awhile. She came back to nothing. I found out she was staying at a friend's house in the slums and it killed me after visiting her dark toxic smelling shanty. Here is a woman who labours for the Lord and she comes back to no home. But God has opened up doors and has provided for her. I (along with a friend) have felt compelled to help sponsor her a new place to live in. I am trying to talk the landlord down a bit on the price so please pray for us for God's wisdom in this and His provision. Also, please pray that this new chapter in her life here in Nairobi is a time of refreshing and vision for her. Mom and Fred got to meet her and can account for her wonderful heart for the Lord.

It is good to finally catch you all up. I welcome your responses or any questions that you might have.

Love to you all!

Kami

Absence makes the heart grow fonder....

2009-04-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 months is a long time to stay away from the blogging world...so my deepest apologies are in order for those who keep close tabs on me....

Let's see...where did I last leave off? Oh yes, the biggest and saddest news to tell is that I do not have baby Matisse anymore. He is safe and sound at the orphanage but I do not take him anymore...I found it too difficult as he was getting older. He knows me really well now and dropping him off and picking him up consistantly at the orphanage proved to be a bit too much emotionally. Not to mention, I was gone alot on the weekends in March and April and I just didn't feel right getting him after a 3-4 week absence from him. He is 14 months old now and becoming quiet the flirt at the orphanage...so he is fine. Please still continue to pray for his situation that he would be able to be available to a permanent loving home or that a loving family member would step up and be responsible for him... But, I did get to witness his first steps as you can see below...and for that...I am grateful to God for the opportunity for the time I had with him. I am not going to say for certain now, but after the 2 months summer break, I am hoping to continue fostering another baby next school year if God wills. It is something that I truly enjoyed being apart of.

Only 4 more weeks left of school..I can't believe how time has flown by. Teaching at Rosslyn Academy has truly been a learning experience for me...a new country, a new job, a new church and new friends...all of it I am grateful for and can't wait to see what God has for me after the summer break. I am happy to say that I was able to buy a plane ticket home this summer for 2 months...so I imagine that I will be seeing many of you when I return. So I can't wait to share stories and pictures with you.

Some really great news is that our church, New Song Nairobi, is doing wonderfully. We are on our secong month of meeting formally together on Sundays. God is really doing a lot and we are growing quickly...we are almost maxing out our little "chapel" that we meet in. God is good. Pastor Garry and Brenda are pouring their hearts into these Kenyan people and lives are being changed by the love of Christ.

(New Song Nairobi below having to meet in a bigger room this particular Sunday)

Speaking of Brenda, the sewing ministry that she has started (Jacaranda Creations) is growing! There are now 3 key locations around Nairobi and Masaai land and another that will begin in Turkana, Kenya, which is located in Northern Kenya. There are over 50 employees now sewing for this ministry - men and women. (Brenda Kean with her youngest, Braiden)

I sadly write that I have not had the chance to visit my Masaai friends since this past October. I was really hoping to visit them more but getting out there is rather difficult if you don't have your own vehicle. I am praying that changes next year as I am praying for a vehicle. Not having a mode of constant transportation here has proved tiresome and frustrating at times...taxis are expensive and matatus (public tranpsortation) are not the safest to take. God is really testing my patience in that department... But I have kept in communication with my Masaai friend Lucy and she says she is "anxiously awaiting" my return.

Well, that is all for now. Thank you thank you for your encouraging responses and prayers. I will see you soon! :)

Blessings...

Kami

Guess who's back??

2009-02-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

I am back in sweet Kenya (actually I have been back for a few weeks) with so many updates it seems.

First, I was so grateful to have visited my wonderful family and friends. Even though I spent the better part of my time off indoors due to the below 0 weather that awaited me in Minneapolis. I commend those that live there during the brutal winters. It was so cold that I decided to go sleading down my sister's stairs with my nieces and nephews instead of trying it outside. No joke, I can't stand the cold. Thank God for calling me here to this amazing weather. 70 is considered a cool day. But, enough about the weather. Seeing and being with my family there is far better than any bright and sunny day in Kenya. New Year's was a hoot as my family and I along with friends sang karaoke. A duet to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with my brother-in-law will forever be carved into my memory- it was fantastic! (and my sister and brother's duet came in a close 2nd as you can see below!).

Not only was I in Minneapolis, but my wonderful friends from "home" aka Nashville, surprised me and flew me down for a few days. I truly am blessed. The tradition of eating Syrian food with my dear friends, the Adams, on New Year's Day was not to be missed and I flew in time just as dinner was being served. It was all so wonderful. I am forever grateful and thankful to those who helped send me there.

Another wonderful gift was seeing my sweet mom. She flew up to Minnesota facing the cold to be with me. I say me, but also to see her grandkids. There really is nothing like family and I am at home whenever I am with them.

My next big stop was on the way back to Kenya when I had a long layover in Paris. The city of love was beckoning me so I decided to spend half of the day sightseeing. It was my first time there and I have to admit, their cold weather and snow was no match for my heart--it was warm all over. I loooved it there!! So beautiful...the museums, the people, Notre Dame...it is endless. I ordered a chocolate banana crepe in French and then ate in while gazing at the Eiffel Tower. I was in heaven. I shall return....one day.

After finally making it home with only 1 day of jetlag (record for me), I was full throttle into work. Seeing the kids again made me quickly realize why I was here. I needed that reminder because after seeing some of the most important people in your life, you can easily start to convince yourself you should move back. But God has me here for a purpose. I realize I am sacrificing some very important things in my life, but His will comes first. And with that, God will give me the grace and peace to keep moving forward even when it seems difficult or lonely.

The following week after my return, I was asked to chaperone 10th graders that would be travelling on their CFS event (cultural field studies). This is an opportunity for the highschoolers to see Kenya and be apart of a different culture for a few days. Along with that, they have to do a service project. Our grade worked with Habitat for Humanity in a village 5 hours west of here called, Bomet. It was an absolutely amazing experience. I can say first hand that I help build a "house" (a very modest one) from the ground up. We didn't complete it, but I have never worked so hard in my life. From mixing cement, to laying the foundation and laying the bricks--it was hard work. The village treated us like rock stars...no joke. They followed us by the droves. They screamed in excitement everyday we came to work. It was such a rewarding experience for myself and for the students. The humble abode we built was for a family and the size of this place would have astonished you. It was a 2 room house, about 3oo sq ft is my estimate. Nonetheless, the owners were so appreciative-it really humbled me. WE, I, can get so caught up in things that are so temporal and then when you see how these people live and the joy they have inside of them, you really are taken back and forced to look at your own life and what you hold value to. These students come from very wealthy backgrounds. In fact, the ex-president of Kenya's grandaughter was in my group and at the end of the trip the kids were humbled and deeply moved by what they experienced. They got the big picture- that it isn't about what you have or how much you have, but it is about pouring into the lives of others,serving them, no matter what the cost or inconvenience it might bring you.

I pray I forever keep that on the forefront of my heart and mind- that I am here to serve and love others in the way that Christ did and still does.

Lastly, I wanted to write that I have been reunited with my sweet foster baby, Matisse. He grew up so fast while I was away. It took him a little bit to recognize me, but once he did, he wouldn't let go of me. He once again has recaptured my heart and I am forever changed by his love. It saddens me about his family life though. His mother passed away from AIDS the week before I left for Kenya and his father has tried to escape from prison making his sentencing even longer than before. Please pray for Matisse and his situation. His father won't let go of him and it breaks my heart. Pray his father has a change of heart and that he will release parental rights from Matisse so he has a chance at a bright and happy future.

Again, I thank you all for your prayers and support. It strengthens me here to know I am not alone and that I have a wonderful "family". Until the next update...

Wrapping things up...

2008-12-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

Well what a year!

First of all, I just want to say that I am so blessed by all the love and support I am getting from family and friends. I truly feel the love of Christ extended to me through you. Thank you.

I can't believe the year is coming to an end already. It really has flown by. It seems as if it were yesterday I was packing to come out here. The school year ends for me in 3 days. Christmas is around the corner and you can feel it in the air even though it is a perfect 80 degrees here everyday. Christmas decorations, goodies, plays, concerts, parties..you name it, it's going on here. The skinny Santa with a square pillow stuffed in his suit really is a sight to see and that's when you are snapped back out from sugarplum land and you realize you really aren't in America anymore. But I will be there in 3 days.

There really isn't anything better for me than spending Christmas with my family--I can't wait. However, I can wait for the frigid weather I will be experiencing...did I mention how perfect the weather is here? A high of -6 degrees just doesn't seem right to me. Why did my family move to Minnesota? God must have told them...that seems to be the only logical explanation.

The packing has started and gifts are in hand ready for my nieces and nephews. What won't be in hand is my sweet Matisse. I have to leave him for obvious reasons (he doesn't have a passport). Saying good-bye this morning was very hard- I won't see him for 3 weeks. I have seen the world through different eyes now that I have fostered him. He brings me so much joy. How can someone that is not yours and that you only have known for such a short while do that? I don't know, but I do know that he truly is a gift and I know God has a special plan for his life.

I just received word that last week Matisse's mother passed away from AIDS. His father probably has it as well. Matisse however, doesn't-thank you Lord! Other news is that I found out that his father, who is in prison, doesn't want to give Matisse over for adoption now. So I am just praying the Lord's will be done in this situation. The father is in for awhile and it makes me sad for Matisse. He would be adopted into a loving, healthy home if he were available. This sort of thing just keeps him in the system for a long, long time.

So much more to update you on...before I forget.. 2 weeks ago I was fortunate to have taken a short trip to Uganda to go white water rafting down the Nile. Insane is all I can say...I would do it again in a heart beat. Unbelievable Class V rapids and the most beautiful scenery that took my breath away. God is good!

Have a wonderful Christmas...be blessed!

Sleepless in Nairobi

2008-11-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

okay, I am not really sleepless, but the nights I have this cute little baby I feel I am a little less without sleep than I was before I got him.

The baby is Matisse. Matisse is an orphan from The Nest Orphanage I volunteered at last year while I was here. For awhile, I have sensed that I was to foster a baby from there. 2 of my co-workers have fostered 3 babies over the course of 2 years and all 3 babies have been adopted out. Soo, I prayed about it and received total peace that I can do this during this time in my life. The good of it far outweighed the bad.

Matisse is 9 months old and is perhaps one of the sweetest babies I have seen. He is a pure joy to be around. I keep him for 4 nights out of the week. The agreement is that I take over the expenses of a baby during that time and that relieves the workers at the orphanage of one less mouth to feed. These babies sleep 3 to a crib sometimes and are packed in a tiny room. Sick or not,they are all together.

Great thing is is that Matisse is getting one-on-one attention. He laughs and smiles a lot and is really quiet the charmer with the ladies.

Please pray that some wonderful couple sees him and falls head over heels for him and adopts
him.

Tour de Kenya

2008-10-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the month of October is winding down. I look outside and the view hasn't changed. The leaves are still bright green. I imagine where you are the view is quiet different. Oh how I miss the changing of the seasons-fall is my favorite. But, I'll take warm days all year round instead...poor me!

(eating acacia...ouch!)

This month brought a few holidays--thanks to the Muslims and President's Day :) I have been on a whirlwind of sightseeing it seems. Safari was a couple of weeks ago and that of course was amazing. I now have seen the big 5 - rhino, buffalo, elephant, leopard, and lion!! I ventured up to Mt. Kenya with friends from work and what a sight it was. Our lodge had views of Mt. Kenya and a watering hole where all sorts of animals came for refreshments. The game drive was most amazing. Whatever you are picturing in your mind is what it was like--right out of the movies! Seeing the wonder of God's creatures with all their intricate patterns truly takes your breath away and you can't help but adore God even more!

The following long weekend I headed to the port town of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean with some other friends and well, I have to say, the ocean is where I am most happy. Our bungalow (thatched roof) was a sight to see. Zanzibar beds, open terrace, amazing meals cooked by our own private chef...(i won't even tell you how little we paid for it all, you'll hate me!). It was a wonderful weekend of swimming in the bluest ocean, taking a dhow boat to snorkel and walking along sand that would blind you it's so white.

Thank you for all your love and support!

Love thy Neighbor

2008-09-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Jambo!

Well, I never promised I was good at this blogging, so once again, I find myself apologizing for the time that has gone by since my last post.

I am officially settled in my new home! It has been somewhat of an adjustment but all is well and I am happy and healthy. I am busy busy busy. Besides being completely drained at the end of the day from teaching, I am filling my time with building strong friendships here at Rosslyn. Tuesday nights a few of us girls meet together for a Bible study, Friday nights are with the Kean's for a small "church group meeting" until we can acquire a building or another location to hold church in, and I have just filled an afternoon slot for a small Bible study with some other ladies (outside of Rosslyn). I forgot to mention that Tuesday evenings are my Kiswahili language class. That is fun! Mimi ni Kami. Mimi ni Mwamerika. Nina penda chai na sukari (i like tea with sugar).
Not bad, huh?

Recently I visited the Masai. This village really is a neighbor to Nairobi. Just over the Ngong Hills and in the valley...watch Out of Africa for a reference.
It was wonderful being back there. I recognized friends and that was thrilling. I was there for a celebration for one of the pastor's graduating from seminary. It was wonderful. Most of the village was at the church for the celebration. The bishop and other leaders were there to pray over him and anoint him (which they poured over him)with oil....it was a special moment to see the whole congregation in support of this. Everyone was crying aloud and praying aloud and worshipping. It was most beautiful. They take this sort of thing very seriously and it was humbling to be a part of it. After the service, we were the guest of honor at the graduate's hut and a goat was slaughtered and we took part of the feasting. They served us as if we were royalty. I have much to learn from them regarding hospitality.

I am hoping I get to visit them alot more. With my school schedule it is somewhat difficult..I had no idea really. Brenda Kean has brought the sewing ministry out there and I that is something I am praying to God that someway I can fit that into my schedule. At times, I forget I am living here and feel I need to have things happen quickly or I will miss out. That is not the case and I am having to trust God that those outside ministry opportunities will come in His timing! Right now, my ministry is here at Rosslyn with these mission kids and what a ministry it is!

Learning to be flexible...

2008-08-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well,

It's been a few weeks since my last blog...i get so busy and am honestly too tired to write at times...forgive me.

I am almost in my 4th week of school and I have to say it has been somewhat frustrating. In the beginning I was so excited about my new big classroom. I stayed late everyday and on the weekends fixing it up, making it look fantastic. THEN, last week I was informed that they needed me to move out of my classroom because they were adding another class to one of the grades and me having the smallest number of students made it ideal for the other class to move in. SO, with a smile on my face and frustration filling up inside of me...I moved to a very small classroom which used to be the boardroom. After all that, 2 days ago one of the teachers informed me they have scheduled a 3 day major event and will need my room for it because....they can't imagine the meetings being held anywhere else!!! I find that hard to believe, but once again, I am being stretched like a rubber-band...flexibility is being mastered in my life :)

I have discovered that to be sent on the mission field you have to go with the flow so to speak. Surprises await you around every corner and if you don't have any expectations, you won't be disappointed. After all, the reason I am here is to serve, not to be served. And what seems to be a frustrating event but not "life altering" turns for the good. I looove my new cozy room!! I have created it into a beautiful place that the children love. It is more private than the last one. I have my own private courtyard surrounded by beautiful flora where the children and I can teach outside on nice days (which is everyday) AND there is the most wonderful avocado tree right outside my room....YUMMY!! So they can have my room for 3 days...I'll teach outside...no biggie in the scheme of things, right?

I have learned alot about myself moving out here. The old way of doing things, the thinking, is quickly being sloughed off. It just doesn't work out here and if you bring that way of thinking here with you, then you will be a miserable person. And who wants to be miserable?? Actually - I am wrong, it shouldn't matter about location. God is the same and we all are dealt with things that gives us a chance to be stretched. And I truly believe God allows these tiny or huge events to frequently appear in our lives. It is all about revealing less of us and more of Him!

I have a feeling more surprises await me here.... who knows..they might just tell me to permanetly teach outdoors :)

Yellow, Red and Black and White....

2008-08-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Well hello again.

There are sounds of children everywhere now..well not right now, crickets actually...but most of the day you see and hear children of all color and different dialects. Belgian, Ethiopian, Japanese, French, Canadian, Israeli... the list goes on and on where these kids are all from. I love it actually and feel so priveledge to be apart of their lives.

It is providential that I am here. Long ago when I was a tween, a "prophetic" woman from my church said she saw me standing in front of different color children. Later on, another similar prophetic word was given over me that I was going to be teaching in front of children from all over the world! So there you have it, now at age 32 I am finally living out that call that was spoken over my life at a young age. I would have never thought it. I fought it for years. But God has a way of reaching our hearts when we are ready and He is so good at it that we think we thought of it all along! But the jokes on us, eh? He never forces us. He is so patient and it amazes me. But what seems like an eternity of waiting is nothing but a blink for Him.

So I pray that as I begin this school year at Rosslyn Academy "...that I walk worthy of the vocation where I am called" (Eph. 4:1). I don't take it for granted that I have a very important job to do. Not just to teach these kids how to speak English or read, but more importantly, to teach them the love of Christ - to BE the love of Christ. I pray that it is not my words that penetrate their hearts, but my actions. Christ dwells in us and it is Christ who must shine forth.

God's peace and love to everyone of you!

A first time for everything!

2008-08-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hello family and friends!

It's been awhile since I have written to many of you regarding my travels over to East Africa. I apologize, but I have been rather busy setting up life here in Nairobi and preparing for a new school year which begins tomorrow.

So this is a first for me....blogging that is. I am not sure how well I will be at it, but I figure it is the best way to write to those who are genuinely interested in what I am doing over here. Plus, it will be good for me - I think.

What am I doing over here some of you may have wondered and have even asked, but all I can say is that God has set this path before me and I am walking down it. I would be lying if I were to say that it has been a piece of cake - it hasn't. It has been one of the most trying and difficult things I have had to do. But, there is grace from our Lord and most of all, there is this amazing peace that I am in the center of God's will - so He is the one who has to work out all the worries I have. I eagerly hand them over to Him.

What worries? Well, I want bore you with all of them but there is this worry of not quiet finding my "fit" here. Ya see, I fit rather fine in good 'ole Nashville. I was comfortable at my church, New Song, and I have to say I had the most amazing friends anyone could ever ask for. I felt safe. Then there is the worry of missing family and not seeing them alot. FAMILY is a word that is so concrete in my life. I have the most wonderful family and I miss them everyday. And the worry of being here at a new school teaching something I really don't feel quiet qualified for (facilitating a literacy lab). But, as my pastor's wise words ring in my ear, " God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called," I hand over those cares to Jesus. And how wonderful my Jesus is.

Jesus has supplied all my needs. He has supplied me with a teaching job at a wonderful Christian school. I also have new friends that love God and are fun and I have been supplied with a beautiful apartment that is taken care of by the school. I have my dear friends here, the Keans, whom I will work along side of with their new church plant - New Song Nairobi. There is so much to be thankful for already.

So I thank Jesus for this new path I am on. And I am reminded of C.S. Lewis writing about Aslan, the Christ-figure in The Chronicles of Narnia - "He isn't safe, but He is good!" How true of our Lord. The "safe" path isn't for me anymore. I'll stay on this one until I am led to another one by the One who knows the way. For Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Light!